Examining the Community Integration Measure (CIM): A replication study with life satisfaction

Objective: To examine instrument reliability, validity, factor structure, and conceptual underpinnings of the Community Integration Measure (CIM) with the Community Integration Questionnaire Revised (CIQ-R) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Design: A replication study. Setting: Community living. Participants: Ninety-one participants: 51 individuals with a brain injury, and 40 without brain injury. Main Outcomes: Internal consistency, criterion validity, construct validity, discriminant validity factor structure. Results: CIM items produced standardized alphas ranging from 0.72 to 0.83. Significant positive correlations were found among the CIM and both the CIQ-R and SWLS, with the CIM performing better with the SWLS than did the CIQ-R. The CIM discriminated between subject samples as well as by living arrangement. The factor loading solution revealed a three-factor model that explained 63.72 percent of the variance. Conclusion: The CIM shows good promise for capturing an individual's perception of community integration. The factor structure supports the original Model of Community Integration. Further research is needed to examine the influence of objective items on the CIM and Model of Community Integration.